Lumber-drying apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 1.

P. P. TOALE.

LUMBER DRYING APPARATUS.

No. 585,895. Patented July 6, 1897.

[WEI 20w (No Model.\ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. P. TOALE. LUMBER DRYING APPARATUS.

No. 585,895. Patented July 6, 1897.

w. b M I M, Y

TNE norms ruins co. mormlruov, wA$NmGmN. D. c.

\ ihvrrnn STATES PATENT Orrmn.

PATRICK P. TOALE, OF, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

LUMBER-DRYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,895, dated July 6,1897. Application filed July 2, 1896. Serial No. 597,901- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK P. TOALE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Charleston, in the county of Charleston and Stateof South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLumber-Drying Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in kilns or apparatus for dryinglumber, the object of the same being to provide a kiln with two maincompartments for the reception of the lumber and a movable casing ordrawer forming a partition separating said compartments, one of thecompartments forming a steam-chamber having'such steam-openings in thesame as to admit live or exhaust steam to liquefy and condense the sapin the lun1- ber and open the pores and the other a hotair chamber withsuch an admission of moisture to keep the pores of the lumber open untilsame is thoroughly dried. The casing or drawer has three or more waysthat lead from a radiator and open into the hot-air chamber to givepositive direction to the hot air, dry or moist, through and on thelumber throughout the width of the said chamber and thereby prevent theconcentration of the hot air at any one point.

With the above ends in view my invention consists in the constructionand arrangement of the kiln, as will be hereinafter fully' set forth andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a sectional plan view of a kiln or 1umber-drying apparatusconstructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The framework of the kiln or lumber-drying apparatus is constructed topresent a main building A and a smaller structure A, adj oining thesame. At each end of the main building is constructed a platform A andthese platforms are provided for the purpose of introducing the lumberinto the kiln and removing same therefrom, as hereinafter more fullyexplained.

Each end of the main building of the kiln is closed by a sliding door B,which when raised presents a passage-way through which the truckscontaining the lumber can be moved into and out of said main building,tracks a a 0L being provided, upon which the trucks travel. In thedrawings I have shown the doors B as sliding vertically to open andclose the passage-ways, and in order to provide mechanical devices foroperating said doors I arrange corner-posts I), having crosspieces I),forming supports for guide-rollers 12 over which the operating ropes orconnections 11 pass.

The main building A is divided into two compartments C and C by means ofa casing or drawer D, which extends transversely across said mainbuilding and into openings in the side walls thereof, said casingordrawer being mounted on rollers, so that it can be moved out upon aplatform A as shown in dotted lines, Fig. l, or same can be lifted up toprovide for the free passage of the trucks from the compartment G intothe compartment C. This casing or drawer is provided with three or moreways d, which communicate with a casing E, located in the structure Aand containing a radiator E, and said ways open into the compartments 0side by side, presenting a series of outlets that eX- tend across thesame at one end. The casing E also contains a fan F, located on theopposite side of the radiator E from the ways d, so that the blast fromsaid fan will force the hot air through and over the said radiator tothe ways cl and from said ways into the compartment C. The fan is drivenbya suitable engine G, mounted within the structure A,

and the steam-pipes from the radiator are run under the compartment Cand open through the floor thereof to convey live or exhaust steam intosaid compartment or steamingroom. The ceiling of this steaming-chamberis raised in the center. to pitch toward the sides, and is provided withproper ventilators in the top to allow for the escape of the steam, thefloor having trap-openings h to carry off condensation.

The floor of the drying-compartment O at the end thereof opposite thecasing or drawer D is provided with outlet-openings h, having slidingplates or cut-offs.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the operation of my improved kiln or lumberdrying apparatuswill be readily understood, as the first truck of lumber is movedthrough the passage-way in front having the door B into thesteaming-chamber C, after which the said door is closed and the steamturned on to effect a thorough steaming of the lumber or green boardsand thereby open its sap-pores and liquefy the sap or chemicalproperties therein. When these boards have been sufficiently steamed,the casing or drawer D is drawn out or lifted, according to the devicesprovided for handling same, and the truck containing the said boards ismoved into the drying-compartmemt C in position to be adjoining thecasing or drawer when it is replaced, and after said drawer is replaceda second truck of lumber is moved into the steaming-compartment C, thedoor B lowered, and the fan and steam turned on, so as to proceed withthe operation of treating the lumber. When a third truck is placed inthe steaming-chamber, the first truck is moved forward in thedrying-compartment O, and the second truck takes its place adjoining theoutlet openings or ways 01, and so on. By this procedure each truck oflumber that is moved from the steaming-chamber G into thedrying-compartment O first receives the full force of the hot airtempered with such a degree of moisture as is necessary to keep thepores of the lumber open and to remove the condensation of the sap, thedrying process or action of this moist hot air being continuous untilthe truck and lumber thereon is moved to the rear end of thedrying-compartment C, from which point it is removed from the kilnthrough the passage-way covered by the door B.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, 1 do not wish to be limited to theprecise construction and arrangement of the parts, as it is obvious thedoors B and B could be swinging doors or slide to the right and leftinstead of vertically and the casing or drawer D could be moved throughthe top of the kiln or beneath the floor thereof.

I claim 1. In a kiln for drying lumber, the combination with the mainbuilding A, of a removable casing or drawer dividing said main buildinginto compartments 0 and C, the

casing or drawer having ways which communicate with a heat-supply andopen into one of the compartments to present a series of outlets thatextend across said compartment, substantially as shown and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a kiln for drying lumber, the combination with the main building Aand structure A adjoining the same, of a removable casing or drawerdividing the main building into compartments 0 and C, said casing ordrawer having ways which open into one of the compartments 0 to presenta series of outlets that extend across said compartment, and with thiscasing or drawer communicating by said ways with a radiator located inthe structure A, and a fan for forcing air through and over the radiatorand into the compartment through the ways in the casing or drawer,substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK P. TOALE.

Witnesses:

L. P. OoLLUM, R. L. CoLLUM.

